Major European production and distribution groups: ZDF Studios

ZDF Studios is the commercial subsidiary of German public service broadcaster ZDF, launched in 1993 to handle its worldwide programme distribution. It has since diversified significantly to span production and co-­productions through to licensing and merchandising, and claims to have the largest German-language programme library in the world. It was known as ZDF Enterprises until 2022 — the new ZDF Studios name was chosen to reflect its production as well as sales activities.

Most of ZDF Studios’ production labels are in Germany, among them leading German producer Network Movie, based in Hamburg. It also has a 49% stake in Bavaria Fiction, 49% in Moritz von Kruedener and Robert Franke’s Intaglio Films, and 49% of Studio Hamburg Production Group’s Real Film, producer of Netflix hit Unorthodox.

Highlights include the production of big-budget European series The Swarm from Intaglio, licensed by Sky in the UK and The CW in the US among other territories.

ZDF Studios says it wants to strengthen its position among the leading European producer-­distributor groups and will continue to invest in German- and English-­language content. Its focus will be on mainstream scripted programmes in popular genres such as crime, and ‘crossover’ genres such as mystery and coming-of-age stories. ZDF also says it is looking to expand through organic growth and acquisitions. The latter will be focused on its home market of Germany.

• In focus: the major European production and distribution groups